ASPB Statement on Sexual Harassment

Reports of sexual harassment in the plant sciences have recently been brought to public attention by Science magazine. The American Society of Plant Biologists believes that discrimination, harassment, bullying, and retaliation have no place in our society, and we want to express our strongest support to any victims of such reprehensible behaviors. Although neither the victims nor the accused perpetrator in this instance are currently members of ASPB, the events reported by Science directly affect one of our partner organizations, and they matter deeply to us all.

ASPB is committed to creating a nurturing environment for all its members, and it is a founding member of the Societies’ Consortium on Sexual Harassment in STEMM. We expect that our members will contribute to this goal by following the standards described in our code of conduct. Actions that violate this code will be taken seriously and could result in revocation of membership and prohibition to participate in society activities.

 

Katayoon (Katie) Dehesh, President

Maureen McCann, Past president

Gustavo MacIntosh, President-elect

Crispin Taylor, CEO

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